Master filter install, no not covered by wiring maintenance. Infact I always recommend if you are currently paying the maint fee then get a cabler in to install a filter and get the wiring correctly done, replace any dodgy and check all other sockets are in good working order, this might cost $200+, then cancel your maint fee, what you save in a few years will pay back and you get optimum DSL performance to boot.

I recently commented on Stephen Fry's woes that I'd laughed when I read about his issues as I was having speed issues (yet to be resolved) with my ISP.

SpeedNet reports speeds as low as 0.06 Mb/s although when I log into my modem it currently shows it is connected at 5930/874kbps (it varies, sometime 7+)

Mauricio Freitas suggested I check this thread.

I was aware it might be home wiring issues and so I had disconnected the wiring where it joins the distribution board, cleaned the terminals and the bared wires in case it was a dirty connection. The wiring is very simple, straight from the distribution board to the one & only jack.

I have a couple of questions:

(1) in an apartment building, where does the home wiring start, is it the common distribution board?

(2) would be be normal for my "modems reported connect speed" and my real world speed to be so different?

(3) is it likely that the underground street wiring could be earthquake damaged (the joys of living in ChCh)?

I do find it interesting that when I was with Telecom NZ, my speed was consistently 6.5Mb/s or higher, and as soon as I switched to Orcon (I mean from day one), my speed dropped to around 5.5Mb/s with some days as low as 4Mb/s, of course this was prior to my current issues.

kiwiscoota: I do find it interesting that when I was with Telecom NZ, my speed was consistently 6.5Mb/s or higher, and as soon as I switched to Orcon (I mean from day one), my speed dropped to around 5.5Mb/s with some days as low as 4Mb/s, of course this was prior to my current issues.

I got an electrician around and it turns out my internal wiring is fine. My problem is the voltage on the line coming into the property is low, 39 volts instead of 50. Still, it's good to isolate that the fault is not my modem or internal wiring. Hopefully Chorus can fix it.

chevrolux: To be honest I don't think it would work as well as it might overseas. In NZ we generally just don't care how fast our internet is. People just assume, oh I am rural so I will have slow broadband. Or it's an old house so broadband will be slow etc. We just don't out any value on proper wiring. You look at homes for sale in the states and they will sell them as 'Ethernet ready' or 'Fibre ready'. People truly want the fastest speeds that are available to them. Now to go back to an ad campaign, maybe if NZers new the potential for speed is there then more value will be put on wiring your home. Especially when you start talking about UFB. I work for a cabling company. The boss did up a package for one of the main spec home builders in town here. It was very competitively priced (much less mark-up & hours than one would put on when quoting privately) and was a tiny (very tiny) portion of the complete cost of the home build. The builders were just not interested as they saw it as extra cost being put on the customer/extra cost they would have to absorb because the customer didn't want it. Instead, they just continue to let the electrician wire brand new homes in a daisy chain. Ludicrous. So yes, maybe some education to the masses is what is needed

IMHO a structured cabling system with minimum specs should be part of the building code - just like insulation and double glazing

Double Glazing is not even mentioned in the NZ Building code and there is no specific requirement for a certain level of insulation. It is a performance based system and, in fact, if you accept no more than 30% total glazing DG is not required as an acceptable solution in any NZ climate zone .It has largely been a voluntary adoption.

Generally, I'm not in favour of burdening people with more rules and regulations particularly where it applies to how they conduct their own affairs. There have been some spectacular failures of the rule book in recent years mainly because the rules rely on a small group of influencers.

Also isn't the Geek world always bleating when someone attempts to apply laws to the internet?

Ok, slightly off topic, however...... insluation requirements are included in the NZBC, check out clause H1.